Fora, pum!

Abstract

The single issue of Portugal Futurista is a landmark in Portuguese Modernism. It opens a transnational dialogue with the European literary and artistic avant-garde, engaging not only with Futurism but also with various other ‘isms’ of the early twentieth century. This article presents a close reading of a number of the texts and images printed in the magazine to examine the ways in which the contributors sought to make vital the written word. The article argues that this vitality culminates in the competitive framing of the manifestoes by José de Almada Negreiros and Álvaro de Campos (Fernando Pessoa) that bring notions of masculinity into dialogue with Portugal’s history and sense of nationhood. Through its exploration of the relationship between word, image, and the senses, the article investigates the radical qualities of Portugal Futurista and the interrogations and performances of gender and identity that are revealed in the magazine.